


Without a Shadow of a Doubt

by Shanecei



Series: Undertale OneShots [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Cutesy, F/M, First Meetings, Fluff, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, M/M, One Shot, Romantic Fluff, Snow, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-08
Updated: 2020-03-08
Packaged: 2021-02-28 17:35:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,338
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23071042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shanecei/pseuds/Shanecei
Summary: What if your shadow wasn't your own?What if it wasn't even the right size?What if, it held the silhouette of your soulmate?
Relationships: Sans (Undertale)/Reader
Series: Undertale OneShots [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1658059
Comments: 17
Kudos: 165





	Without a Shadow of a Doubt

**Author's Note:**

> Guess who hasn't updated their fics in forever? This dumbass enby
> 
> Guess who instead of updating a fic wrote a one shot instead? This doubly dumbass enby
> 
> Anyway, enjoy the tooth rotting fluff that almost made me cry, but I didn't! because I'm a manly man!! ok?!!
> 
> *sniffling can be heard in the distance

You never truly know what life is going to throw at you. It had taken some time before I had found this to be true, as the invincible teenager you once were fades away into a reality facing adult. It was fickle, switching between the best of your life, and the worst on a whim, no rhyme or reason to be found other than grasping the short end of the stick.

I, however, managed to get the shortest one of them all.

Soulmates were a concept known to even the youngest of children; everyone had listened to the stories at least once in their lifetime. Your shadow is not your own, but your specially chosen lover, yet everyone knows this is false. A shadow is simply the absence of some light, not a magical creation.

This promise for a special bond, another fairy tale told to them in an attempt to draw out their childhood innocence, was considered just that, a story. Until it wasn’t.

I had been born with a shadow that was not my own. At birth it dwarfed me in size, being multitudes larger than a single human babe was capable of producing. Of course, tests were run, they were done for a minimum of three years. My parents refused to tell me more in an attempt to let me lead a normal life. I was exposed to all the children’s propaganda, and latched onto this wish from a young age. If my shadow was so different, it simply had to be my soulmate!

Other people however… they did not share the same sentiments. Kindergarten had the most accepting, as they were too young to know any better, yet it only proceeded to go downhill from there. Primary school was the time when I learnt of my uniqueness. Kids would point at my shadow, and other more confident ones would speak to me directly.

“What is that?” I never knew how to respond. Secondary just exemplified this. ‘Freak’ they would say, ‘Weirdo’ others. Surprisingly, this was the worst it got. I was lucky to be passable as an average teenager; decent grades, neutral looks, kind heart. The questions would only get more demanding though.

“What is that?” I would just shrug and walk away. If I didn’t have an answer, I wasn’t going to make one up to satiate curiosity. University was the same.

You would think that adults would be able to look over small details. It didn’t affect them in anyway, so why would they care, right? Adults are children with responsibilities, no more, no less.

I pulled my coat tighter around me, the wind threatening to sap away any heat that might remain. Burying my nose into my scarf, I hurry towards my apartment, hoping to get there before the weather gets any worse. I glance over and see my shadow out the corner of my eye. A soft smile works up on my face, and I feel a warmth spread through my chest. The broad silhouette mirrored my movements, footsteps perfectly in time, as they always were, hands in perceived pockets, as they always were. I never could understand how they would walk in time, yet in such a different style, but accepted it as fact and moved on with my life.

Now that the cold was pushed to the back of my mind, I could focus on my surroundings more. Always had to being born different, never know who would be next.

The shops either side were bustling with activity, monsters and humans alike shopping. The cafes were unsurprisingly full, sheltering from the weather before taking their treks home also. My heart swells with affection as I see a couple kiss in once of them, the taller ones wings fluttering slightly in joy whilst the smaller grins against their lips. It sinks once more as it realises it has no idea that kind of sensation that is.

I had held back on any romantic relationships in my life. At first it was due to naivety, dreams of a soulmate whisking off of my feet, nights where we played until the sun came up. _We would never take naps!_ I would promise myself, _no vegetables and only fun games_. It then evolved into denial. _They will come eventually,_ I reassured myself, turning down my first potential suitor. _They had to, it was fate_. Then it was spite; _I’ve already gone this long, I’m just going to wait to see the look on their face! I can’t back down now_.

Finally, it fell into acceptance. I had never experienced romantic attraction, and at 20, it was unlikely to occur now.

I step off of the pavement onto the path into the park. The wind had died down slightly, no longer forcing me to hold together my coat, so I let my hands fall into my pockets, a habit I had picked up from mirroring my shadow all these years. Back in those simpler times.

A light snow began to fall. I release a soft, purposeful breath, creating a cloud that is broken by the flakes drifting down. I giggle almost inaudibly, embarrassed at my childlike wonder seeing the snow. The last time I saw snow was nearly 10 years ago, as I had moved house the two times that area had began to snow. A light spring was introduced to my step as energy flowed within me.

I laugh a bit louder as the snow became thicker. I began to hop between my feet as I walked, debating whether or not to give into my sudden energy. Insecurities gave way to joy as I span and bounded around the deserted park. I twirled around before pausing, attempting to catch a snowflake on my tongue before twisting away again. I did one last hop and landed on my feet, arms spread to my sides with my hands at waist hight, a grin splitting my cheeks, all before I saw him.

A skeleton stood before me. His figure was the brightest spot of colour in the park, the cool blue of his jacket cleanly contrasting the slowly fading green of the grass and trees. His skull was dull compared to the flakes that fell around him, yet it was a porcelain dullness, one of beauty without the weakness of ceramic. A thin shadow lay underneath him, unusually thin for this strangely barrel chested skeleton. My gaze was then captured by his own.

His eyes were mere pinpricks within the void of his sockets, sharp and piercing into my very core. His expression was one of awe and shock, stunned into a silence that stretched between as his hands clenched slightly within his pockets.

Those, damned pockets.

It hit me at once, all this time my shadow was too large because it was already fully grown. Only a monster had the capacity to live at adulthood for so long, so of course my soulmate had to be one too.

My grin that had fallen from shock grew once more into a sheepish smile. This occurred moments before I was pulled into an embrace as he suddenly appeared before me.

A surprised sound escaped my lips as I froze before relaxing into the warmth he exuded. A tingling sensation overtook any space that was in contact with the mans figure, and I pulled myself closer with my arms wrapped around his chest. I could feel it bouncing slightly in a breathless laugh which I mirrored, both slightly hysterical at the reality of what lies in front of us.

We both pull back, hands not leaving their places, to take in each other up close. He was exactly as magical as I first described, yet now I could feel the strength in his arms, a powerful feeling that reeked of protection and belonging. Tears begin to cloud my vision as we both flick our gaze to the ground. Our shadows were also embracing, mirroring our movements as they should, yet now?

My shadow was finally my own.


End file.
